The present invention relates to a wireless personal safety device. Every day, people are exposed to situations in which personal safety may be in jeopardy: while strolling on city sidewalks, hurrying to one's car at night, looking for one's car in a parking garage, jogging on a lonely road, walking the dog out at night, getting lost outdoors, taking a short cut down a deserted street, getting waylaid by a vicious dog, hearing footsteps following one, waiting for help when one's car breaks down, making a wrong turn in a dangerous neighborhood etc. In today's world people need a security companion.
Statistically 33% of women in the USA will be violently victimized at least once in their lifetimes. The Justice Department counted 4.9 million violent crimes involving over 2.7 million victims in 2010. It estimates there were over 467,000 firearm victims in 2011. Kids Fighting Chance, a children's advocacy group, reports one child is abducted or reported missing every 40 minutes or 800,000 times per year.
According to criminal deterrence theory, an attack occurs after the criminal makes a cost-benefit analysis. He will act if the benefit outweighs expected consequence. Criminals also know the chances that the police will be in earshot during an attack are low.
Calls to the police are not sufficient for deterrence. Most callers assume that law enforcement will respond before a criminal act occurs. Statistics indicate otherwise. Law enforcement rarely breaks up a street crime. More often than not, its role is pursuit, investigation and witness for prosecution of the criminal act.
The present invention is in the field of personal safety and more particularly for personal protective devices, particularly as combined with cellular telephones and more particularly when a smartphone is connected to a separate personal protective device via a network.
The prior art known to Applicants takes advantage of the latest technology made available by battery powered cellular phones. This includes telephony, the ability to capture pictures, videos and audio, Global Positioning System (GPS) location capabilities, and the ability to run software applications on built-in processing units. Some prior art inventions disclose holders, attachments and cases for cellular phones that allow additional personal safety devices to be physically linked to the cellular phone. This makes the combined device bulkier, heavier and less useful as a cellular phone. Some of them provide for personal safety device activation once a panic button is pushed, but the integration is not complete. Other disclosures include voice activated panic buttons, but it is known that voices under stress cannot always be recognized, even by trained software. Finally, because cellular phone designs are not standardized, different phone implementations make a common attachment means difficult, if not impossible.
US Patent Application 2008/0064339, Mar. 13, 2008, to Cavalier, describes a personal safety device formed by combining a modified cellular telephone with a personal protective spray, such as pepper spray. Activation of the spray causes the cellular telephone to automatically alert emergency response personnel and provides them with cellular phone location via GPS in the phone. It requires modification of the cellular phone and does not work in conjunction with other personal safety devices over a local network.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,472,915, Jun. 25, 2013, to DiPerna et al., also describes a cellular phone with personal protective spray and a panic button. When the button is activated, the personal protective spray is released and the phone records audio and/or video for transmission, transmits the data to emergency response personnel, and provides them with cellular phone location via GPS in the phone. It requires attaching devices to the phone or modification of the cellular phone and does not work in conjunction with other personal safety devices over a local network.
US Patent Application 2007/0293186, Dec. 20, 2007, to Lehmann, describes a portable device that includes the ability to biometrically identify the user. The portable device can be a cellular phone with integrated cameras, sound recorders, and/or biometric authentication mechanisms that utilizes GPS to determine geographic location. Data communication in the form of GPS location data, messages, videos, pictures, etc. can be performed over many types of networks including local area networks (LANs). LANs however, are not meant for personal area network use. Lehmann's invention does not work in conjunction with other personal safety devices over a personal area network.
US Patent Application 2010/0283609, Nov. 11, 2010, to Remer, describes a personal safety system that provides image, audio, and data capture of a perpetrator of a crime against the user. Data is stored at a secure remote location. The device alerts the perpetrator that the information has been captured, thus discouraging the crime. Remers invention does not work in conjunction with other personal safety devices over a personal area network.
US Patent Application 2012/0299711, Nov. 29, 2012, to Manning, describes a personal safety and alarm system including a siren/strobe light, and a pepper spray container in a holder. The holder can be detached. The holder can reside on a stand or be placed in a pocket. Manning's invention does not work in conjunction with other personal safety devices over a personal area network.
US Patent Application 2013/0040596, Feb. 14, 2013, to Paim et al., describes a method that allows a smartphone user to easily and properly share his status during distress situations with people who can better help him contextually and reliably. The Paim invention, while utilizing many network methods, does not work in conjunction with other personal safety devices over a personal area network.
US Patent Application 2013/0257612, Oct. 3, 2013, to Finet, describes a personal alert safety system worn by a user. An accelerometer in the system detects movement and controls an alarm device. The Finet invention does not use a cellular device and does not work in conjunction with other personal safety devices over a personal area network.
US Patent Application 2013/0260825, Oct. 3, 2013, to Hagenstad, describes many of the previously described components. The cellular phone has a panic button which can activate audio and video recording, start a siren, flash lights and contact emergency personnel with GPS location data. These capabilities can also be deployed in an attachable cellular phone case. The Hagenstad invention does not work in conjunction with other personal safety devices over a personal area network.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,645, Jan. 8, 1991, to Abboud, describes a stun gun and irritant ejecting spray combination. The Abboud invention does not work over a personal area network.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,466,795, Jun. 18, 2013, U.S. Pat. No. 8,149,124, Apr. 3, 2012, U.S. Pat. No. 6,624,754, Sep. 23, 2003 and 6239700, May 29, 2001 to Hoffman et al., describe a signaling system that provides an alarm for an individual in distress combined with a locating and tracking system, possibly by cellular phone, to alert and direct appropriate personnel to the needs of the individual in distress and to monitor the location of that individual. The system includes a portable signaling unit, a remote alarm switch device, a central dispatch station, and makes use of a wireless communication system. The portable signaling unit and the remote alarm switch may be adapted to be worn at different locations on the person's body. The remote alarm switch may be concealed in the form of a wristband or in the form of any other object such as a broach, pendant, or keychain. Even though a wireless remote is described that is separate from the cellular phone, nowhere is it mentioned that the wireless remote contains other personal safety devices nor do these devices work over a personal area network.
The following patents are also known to Applicants: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,198,390, 6,072,396, 5,559,520, 5,515,419, 5,461,390, 5,396,227, 5,357,254, 5,334,974, 5,225,842, 5,225,809, 5,196,825, 5,027,314, 5,021,794, 4,885,571, 4,918,432, 4,952,913, 4,819,860, 4,818,998, 4,799,062, 4,744,083, 4,839,656, 4,965,586 and 4,694,284. Many of these references describe various safety systems utilizing cellular networks. None disclose cellular phone based personal safety devices that work in conjunction with other personal safety devices over a personal area network. While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose the present invention.